Published April 05. 2017 02:46PM
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A popular re-enactor who portrayed Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia for more than 40 years and married a woman who portrays Betsy Ross has died.
The Alleva Funeral Home in Paoli confirms that Ralph Archbold died on March 25. He had turned 75 on Jan. 17, a birthday he shared with Franklin.Archbold was a frequent fixture in the city's historic area and took his homage to Franklin to events around the world.He and Linda Wilde married in costume at Independence Hall on July 3, 2008.A family statement lists two sons, two daughters and a stepdaughter among his other survivors.
In this Jan. 17, 2006, file photo, re-enactor Ralph Archbold, portraying Benjamin Franklin, applauds during a party to mark the 300th anniversary of Franklin's birth on Jan. 17, 1706, in Philadelphia. AP PHOTO/JOSEPH KACZMAREK, FILE